Who We Are

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the international humanitarian arm of the Catholic Church in the United States. For more than 80 years, Catholic Relief Services has served as the official overseas relief and development agency of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, embodying the global mission of the Church to assist poor and vulnerable people around the world and steadfastly uphold the dignity of all in accordance with Gospel teachings. CRS provides assistance to roughly 130 million people in more than 110 countries and territories in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Eastern Europe. CRS promotes human development by responding to major emergencies, fighting disease and poverty, and nurturing peaceful and just societies. As Catholics in the United States, and in partnering with Catholic Relief Services, the people of the Diocese of San José live their faith in solidarity with their brothers and sisters around the world.

Lenten Season

Each Lenten season, we as Catholics, have two special opportunities to join in solidarity with our struggling brothers and sisters across the globe by participating intimately in the fundraising efforts of Catholic Relief Services. These opportunities are the CRS Rice Bowl donation, and the CRS 2nd Collection.

CRS Rice Bowl (March 5 – April 13, 2025)

Over the past 50 years, Catholic Relief Service’s Rice Bowls have become a staple on the table of Catholic families across the country during Lent.  These CRS Rice Bowls encourage us to follow the Lenten practice of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, calling each person to action through the calendar included with each bowl, and location-specific themed vegetarian recipes.  The Rice Bowl collection is specifically focused on feeding the hungry around the world and in our own Diocese.
 
When we donate with the Rice Bowl, it’s important to donate directly to your specific parish versus the CRS online portal because your donation operates in a 75/25 fashion.  Once the Diocese receives all the parish donations, 75% of the total amount is sent to CRS National, and our Diocese retains 25% for local grants to help those in need through parish ministries that feed the poor and homeless.  If one donates online to the CRS online portal, 100% of that donation goes to CRS National and those within the Diocese don’t benefit from your donation.

CRS 2nd Collection (March 30, 2025)

A different collection from the Rice Bowl, the CRS Second Collection is taken up annually and focuses on pushing back against the overarching ravages of poverty by funding various efforts:

  • Providing emergency relief in the wake of disasters and civil conflict,
  • Fighting disease,
  • Nurturing peaceful and just societies,
  • Long-term development programming in the areas of water, agriculture, education, micro finance, community health and peace building.

With the well-being of our indigent brothers and sisters hanging in the balance, we express our clarion call to your parish communities to hearken the words of Jesus Christ, “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.